Sadly, millions of dogs and cats are put to death in shelters each year because there are simply not enough homes for them. And even more tragic is the number of animals that are abandoned or lost in our communities where they succumb to hunger, thirst, disease, predation or accidental death.

Hands down, spay-neuter is the single most effective way of preventing unwanted births and ensuring that animals don’t have to face a lonely and heartbreaking death.

But if you’re still not convinced that spay-neuter is the right thing to do, here are 8 reasons to have your pet altered:

Health

• Spaying eliminates the stress and discomfort of heat cycles.
• Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and prevents incidence of prostate disease if performed before six months of age.
• Spaying reduces the risk of mammary gland tumors and ovarian and uterine cancer, especially if done before the first heat cycle.
• Spayed/neutered animals live an average of two to three years longer than other pets.

Behavior

• Altered pets are less likely to roam, which decreases the risk of getting hit by a car or contracting diseases.
• Spaying and neutering helps eliminate undesirable behaviors like spraying, marking and fighting.
• Neutering curbs bad behavior, including aggression, excessive barking and other hormone-related behaviors.

Financial

• The cost to sterilize your cat or dog is less than the cost associated with providing adequate care for one litter.